Leonie of Bosewood is a halfling, caught between the Faerie and human worlds yet belonging in neither. She does her best to hide her magical abilities, mindful that being different in medieval England is tantamount to death. But her untamed spirit and wild beauty are like a beacon to the one man whose attention could expose her....

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Leonie of Bosewood is a halfling, caught between the Faerie and human worlds yet belonging in neither. She does her best to hide her magical abilities, mindful that being different in medieval England is tantamount to death. But her untamed spirit and wild beauty are like a beacon to the one man whose attention could expose her....

Philippe le Peregrine has devoted his life to the crown, his strength and courage winning him the king’s gratitude. In return he asks but one indulgence: never to be forced to take a wife. Because Philippe hides his own secret, a curse condemning him to celibate solitude, he faces life without the one woman whose allure he cannot ignore. And yet as unseen forces gather, preparing for a mystical battle for dominion over the human world, Leonie and Philippe realize that only together are they strong enough to conquer the engulfing evil.

I had read one print book by Delle Jacobs before and thought I'd give this one a try. Overall, I wasn't disappointed. While there was nothing about this book that made me want to rush out and tell all my friends, it was a nice solid story and a polished audio performance.

This book is a historical fantasy romance that takes place during the rule of William the 2nd, not too long after his father, William the Conqueror won England for the Normans. The setting is in the north of England, in the borderlands with Scotland. What really impressed me was that the author used real historical figures. Indeed, William II (aka Rufus or the Red King) and Robert DeMowbray, Earl of Northumbria are both real historical figures and both were major characters in this book. Given this is historical fantasy, I was awed at how she was able to keep her history so accurate while working in the fantasy elements.

The romance, on the other hand, comes off as just a bit cheesy, but perhaps that's just because the author tries to stay true to the language of the time. Leonie is half fae, but also a great heiress with many holdings in this critical area. Phillippe is a widower, and is one of the king's most trusted knights. He lost his wife in a battle with a sorcerer, and believing himself cursed, has vowed to never wed, or even bed, again. It's hard to tell more without spoilers, but there are fae, shades, sorcerers, magical hounds and all sorts of fantasy elements included in the book, and it made for a fun read.

The narrator had the perfect cadence and accent for this book, and the result was a professionally done performance.

This book takes you back to the time of knights and sorcery. You have Leonie, who is half faerie, and Philippe, the knight, who you don't really find out about until towards the end. Philippe's first wife was killed and a curse was put on Philippe that if he ever fell in love she would die by his hand. So of course you have Philippe trying not to love anyone and then being forced to marry Leonie.

This is their story. You have fighting and magic and, of course, romance, but let's also not forget a magical dog, Ilse. You also have great supporting characters, good and evil.

Follow the story of. Half long human/fearie as she discovers more about herself and the mysterious Phillip with secrets of his own. The intense romance scenes, daring fights and bold characters make this novel amazing. Such a big fan of Delle Jacobs.

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